Environmental Policies in the United Kingdom - Assignment Example

Environmental Policies in the United Kingdom al affiliation Environmental Policies in the United Kingdom Introduction Since the 1950s, the United Kingdom has been cautious about threats on the environment globally. The state has devised policies, and established institutions to cater for the threats on the environment. These areas include; restoration of the quality of the air and water, reclamation of derelict land and also the improvement of the towns and countryside. The established policies have however been criticized as only focusing on the immediate problem other than focusing on the underlying problem. In the late 1980s, the United Kingdom revived its policies on the environmental conservation. Even at the highest levels, the government is now committed to developing policies on protecting the environment as well as sustaining it. This essay will discuss these policies: how they develop and their impact on the protection of the environment. The Legal and Institutional Framework Safeguarding Environmental Policies in the United Kingdom The legal framework in the United Kingdom is largely based on the European Union policies on environmental protection. These policies are then domesticated through the parliamentary process, and thus become national laws of the United Kingdom (Scotford & Robinson 2013). Each area of the environment is distinct, and there are thus different laws. The policies on environmental issues act as a supplement to the legislation. These policies sometimes contain substantive obligations in them and can legally constitute subjects of environmental protection. Because of the devolution policy in the United Kingdom, matters of environmental conservation are dealt with by the devolved administrations. Therefore, we cannot say that there is a single legislation or policy to govern environmental matters in the UK (Scotford & Oliver 2013) The most significant legislation that made great strides in the environmental policy is the Environmental Protection Act 1990. This Act combined the various statutes on environmental protection into one Act. This Act also made changes in the institutions that cater for environmental matters. In controlling the pollution, it introduced measures aimed towards preventing harm in the environment and not just limiting the amount of damage on the environment. There have been various reforms to this Act in its various parts. Some parts have been repealed, and others removed. For example, part 1 and various sections of part 2 were repealed in 1999 and 2010 by the Pollution Control and Prevention Act 1999, and Environmental Permitting Regulations 2010. The environmental quality standards have also been adopted in legislation. These standards bring about a holistic approach to environmental protection. The standards are there to ensure that there is a certain limit of environmental pollution that should not be exceeded. It also ensures that the standards of environmental protection are realized over time. For example, the Climate Change Act 2008 sets the limits on the greenhouse gases to be emitted. The environmental laws have been taken in the form of the command and control. There have been criminal sanctions whenever an entity does contrary to what the statute says. The environmental policies are intertwined with the legislation and aids in the implementation of legislation. This interaction between policy and legislation shows that there is not a clear constitutional separation between the two (Scotford & Robinson 2013). The environmental policy in the United Kingdom is an aggregate of the old and new approaches to regulation. To develop the policies, the Better Regulation Task Force has the mandate of advising the government on any recommendation on environmental protection. The policies are more flexible compared to the legislation. They also stimulate innovation in various fields of environmental protection. The United Kingdom is thereby recognized in its role of developing the New Environmental Policy Instruments (NEPIs). The government has also established the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). This department is mandated with the development and implementation of policies meant for protecting the environment. It caters for all environmental areas including; water, noise, air, soil and land pollution each distinctively. The Environmental Protection UK is also another body concerned with environment management matters. This body is a non-governmental organization. It was formally known as the National Society for Clean Air and Environment Protection. The change of name enabled this organization to deal with all environmental matters and not limit itself to only matters of clean air. The policies in regard to gas emissions in the United Kingdom Due to various factors, there have been climatic changes in the UK. The government has then sought to control the level of emissions through various policies. These policies are complex and have different objectives. The issue of climatic change is a global problem, and thus the United Kingdom has liaised with other players to curb this problem. Most of these policies are pocket-friendly to ensure that all households and firms take them up (Bowen and Ridge 2011). Below are some of the policies on the regulation of gas emissions. The Renewable Obligations 2002- this policy is the basic policy on energy. The end suppliers of electricity are required to purchase a certain fraction of electricity from those producers that use specific renewable technologies annually. After this purchase, they should be issued with certificates. The Code for Sustainable homes 2007- this policy covers water, energy, waste and materials used in the design and construction of homes. There are minimum performance records required. This policy ensures that there is efficiency in energy improvement. The Carbon Emission Reduction Target 2008- this policy targets measures for household energy savings, for example, insulation. It also targets those people who are vulnerable to fuel poverty. The Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation 2008- this policy requires that the companies that supply fossil fuels ensure that a certain percentage of fuel used on the roads comes from renewable fuels. Companies are also supposed to give reports on the content of carbon and sustainability of the biofuels that are used. The 2011 Carbon Plan- this is a government initiative aimed at reducing both national and international carbon emissions. This is in line with the 2020 United Kingdom’s emission reduction targets. The 2014 smart meter roll-out- the government has proposed an obligation on the suppliers of energy to use smart meters in all homes. This program is also aimed at replacing about 53 million electricity and gas meters. This move is supposed to take place between the year 2014 and the year 2019. Policies in regard to water pollution in the United Kingdom The European Council set the Water Framework Directive in 2000. The United Kingdom is a member of the European Council, and to implement the directive, it has set policies in line with this directive (Environmental Protection Department 2007). This directive applies to all waters in the natural environment. It has various objectives that include: Protection, restoration and enhancement of groundwater. Prevention of the deterioration of the status of the groundwater bodies. Limitation of input of pollutants to groundwater. Compliance with the measure of dangerous substances and any other standards. As mentioned earlier, the devolution policy makes implementation of the policies the work of the various devolved governments in the different states. Scotland The water framework directive was implemented in Scotland through the Water Environment and Water Services Act of 2003. This Act protects the water environment as well as safeguarding the social and economic interests of the citizens. Northern Ireland In 2002, the Water Resource Strategy 2002- 2030 was established to align programs that would reduce wastage of water. The way this is done is by reducing the number of water abstraction sources and maximizing the output from these sources. The Policy and Product for the Protection of Ground Water in Northern Ireland was also issued to enhance the quality of both underground water and the underground water resources. It is later in 2003 that the Water Framework Directive came into force through the Water Environment Regulations. This policy focuses on the following: Classification of underground water resources according to their vulnerability to pollution Establishing zones meant for the protection on ground water sources Monitoring and analyzing the methods used in water management. England and Wales The government policy for England and wales was first set out in the strategy “Directing the Flow- priorities for future water policy 2002. The second policy came in 2007 that ensures that the commitments set for water management are realized. This strategy aims at improving the quality of water as well as improving the standards of service delivery. Through the implementation of the Water Framework Directive, the strategy also focuses on water availability. Water flooding and erosion affect the quality and availability of water. It is thus the focus of this strategy that any instances of flooding are controlled. It looks at achieving sustainable water resources all through including during the periods of drought. Policies to Curtail Noise Pollution in the United Kingdom The government is mandated with taking various roles and responsibility in managing the level of noise pollution in the United Kingdom. There are laws and policies that guide the authorities in the investigation and abatement of any nuisances in regard to noise pollution. All entertainment joints or functions should also be licensed. The authorities have a primary role of safeguarding the health of the public as well as the quality of life. For this to be possible, the authorities have integrated the management of noise controls within their preventive and abatement measure whenever the cases of noise pollution occur. Once the authorities detect any instance of noise pollution, independent investigations are conducted. The steps taken in the investigation should be reasonably practicable. Then the authorities are then required to serve the party in breach of environmental noise control policies with an abatement notice. The authorities do not have to wait until a breach of policy occurs. The authorities can also serve a party when they have reasonable proof that an environmental nuisance is about to occur within their jurisdiction. The authorities can become overwhelmed by the amount of work. If this is the case, they are allowed to delegate some of the work to various officers, committees or subcommittees. The officers appointed to carry out any function related to the regulation of noise pollution are required to administer the work to the various departments that they establish. Each department should have clearly defined roles and responsibilities. There should also be cooperation between the various departments. During construction, the Local Authority on building controls should inspect the construction sites to ensure that the contractors are complying with the building regulations. Factors such as sound insulation and reverberation are considered in all constructions. The local authority housing services inspects the residential areas to ensure that there is compliance with the conditions on local authority tenancy conditions. At the mineral excursions sites, there is a particular limit of noise. The mineral planning authorities ensure that this is in control during the process of planning the excursion. Every mining company should first obtain the consent of this body before it begins the process of mining. This consent will have in its terms the conditions relating to noise pollution control. The authority should have the necessary policy statement in order to assess the impact of the noise on the environment. Generally, the area of noise management has two spectrums. The first is the preventive role of the authorities. Long-term strategic approaches have been established to restrict any possible noise pollution instances before they even occur. The authorities have taken the approach of using legislation, land use planning and licensing of facilities and companies to ensure that this is under check. The second aspect is the process of remedying those affected by the nuisance. This remedy occurs after the nuisances have been done. The Environment Protection Act gives power to authorities to deal with such cases at the local level. Conclusion The United Kingdom has made major strides in the field of environmental protection. The established policies supplement the legislation on environment pollution management. As discussed, these policies are mainly guided by the guidelines set out by the European Union on environmental management. However, some of these policies have been criticized as not being comprehensive in all areas. To take care of the shortcomings of the existing policies, the government continues to establish new policies to be able to sustain the environment management programs. References Scotford, E., & Robinson, J. (2013). UK Environmental Legislation and Its Administration in 2013—Achievements, Challenges and Prospects. Journal Of Environmental Law, 25(3), 383-409. Scotford, E., & Oliver, R. (2013). Legislation and Policy. Environmental Law Review, 15(3), 225-229. doi:10.1350/enlr.2013.15.3.189 Bowen, A. & Rydge, J. (2011). Climate Change Policy in the United Kingdom. Economic Department Working papers no. 886. Environmental Protection Department Ref. SA 07-002 “Review of the International Water Resources Management Policies and Actions and the Latest Practice in their Environmental Evaluation and Strategic Environmental Assessment Final Report” November 2007. Environmental landscape. (2014). UK Country Profile. Read More